Rule 63
by alienyouthct
Summary: In the midst of the Chitauri invasion, the Avengers get some help from an unexpected source…


Title: _Rule 63  
><em>Author: JoeHundredaire  
><span>Rating:<span> R/FR18  
><span>Disclaimer:<span> Right, I actually went and checked to be sure this time… after being passed around like a slut at a frat party over the past few years, _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, _Angel: the Series_, and all associated characters now belong to Warner Brothers. With a myriad of writers, artists, and editors, actual rights are a nightmare when you go near a comic book universe. Suffice it to say that Marvel Entertainment LLC owns all of the property printed in their comics, along with the television and movie adaptations of said same property. Not mine, don't sue, and so forth and so on.  
><span>Summary:<span> In the midst of the Chitauri invasion, the Avengers get some help from an unexpected source…  
><span>Joe's Note:<span> If you're excited to see this up and alive again, thank MarcusRowland, and maybe go read and review some of his stuff tomorrow after you're done dealing with my literary assault. He asked when I offered to take requests, so here I am. As I stated on the forums, I decided to reimagine this so that it wouldn't be problematic as I continue Trigamy in the future. I'll give more details at the bottom, since I don't want to spoil things for you.  
><span>Dramatis Personæ:<span> If you're curious about where each of the girls came from so you can read more about them…  
><strong>Anya Maximoff - Crimson Curse:<strong> _Get Drunk and Be Somebody  
><em>**Dawn Summers - Emerald:** _The New World_ by P.H. Wise  
><strong>Emily Lioy - Aberration:<strong> _Everywhere I Go  
><em>**Kate Bishop - Hawkeye:** _New Day Dawning  
><em>**Alexis NicConstantín - Redback:** _Young Defenders  
><em>**Cassie Lang - Ant-Girl:** _The Start of Something New  
><em>**Cordelia Chase - Railgun:** _Red, White, and Blue_

* * *

><p>"How do we do this?"<p>

"As a team."

"I have unfinished business with Loki."

"Yeah? Well, get in line."

Had they not heard the part where he'd told them this had to be a team effort? Steve Rogers shook his head; while he was doing his best to adapt to the present day and embrace it, times like this really made him miss the Howling Commandos. They'd gotten shit done and then hit the bar for drinks, without slowing down for witty quips or showmanship. "Save it. Loki's going to keep the fight focused on us, and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We get Stark up top. He's going to need us to…" Trailing off at the sound of a puttering motor, Steve lowered his arms and turned around, staring in disbelief at the late arrival. The man had fallen out of the helicarrier back over… and that pathetic motorcycle looked like it could barely hit… and yet here he was. Steve let out a sigh, knowing this would be yet one more thing for Stark to gloat about being right about.

Cutting the battered motorcycle's engine as Steve led his fellow Avengers over, Bruce Banner swung his leg over the side and began walking towards them slowly. "So. This all seems… horrible."

Steve furrowed his brow at that; was this really the time to be making jokes? The city was under assault by alien invaders, and- "I've seen worse."

Et tu, Natasha?

"Sorry."

"No. We could use a little… worse."

No, they could use a little focus. At first he'd thought it was just a personality flaw of Stark's, given Howard had behaved similarly from time to time, but the more time he spent around the people of this era… Steve sighed. Work now. Reminisce about the past later. He toggled the radio built into his cowl. "Stark. We've got him."

"Banner?"

"Just like you said."

"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you." Before Steve could request further details, there was a roar followed by the sound of shattering glass as Tony came whipping around the side of a skyscraper two blocks distant, with the strangely snake-like flying machine following close behind him. It didn't corner nearly as well as the Iron Man armor, tearing the side out of said same building before reorienting itself and giving chase. Banner glanced towards the monstrosity as Steve tightened his grip on his shield, Thor letting out a noise halfway between a growl and a grunt behind him, and Natasha…

"I-I don't see how that's a party."

That was because it wasn't. It was a situation. A situation that needed to be handled immediately. And it seemed like Steve wasn't the only one who recognized it. As the machine grew closer, smashing into cars and tearing up the pavement as its belly scraped the ground, Banner gave them one last look before turning and walking forward. "Doctor Banner?" As Stark whipped past overhead, Steve took two steps forward. "Now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

Banner actually chuckled at that, glancing back over his shoulder at them. "That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry." Stopping, he planted his feet and… changed. While it wasn't instant, it was fast enough and Banner had given way to the Hulk in time for the green goliath to bring one fist forward and slam the oncoming object's nose into the ground. Unstoppable force warred against immovable object, and the Hulk grunted as he was driven back a foot or two by the machine's momentum. Then he brought a second fist to bear and the back end of the machine abruptly shot skyward. That… was a problem.

"Hold on!" Shooting up into the air, Stark held out his left arm and fired a missile toward the Chitauri snake-machine. Halfway to its target, though, a bolt of green energy intercepted it… and then a yellowish-green body tackled Stark, driving him downward into the pavement. Raising his shield over himself and Natasha in what he knew was ultimately a futile gesture, Steve waited for the inevitable…

And waited…

And waited…

"You know, I really don't want to tell you how to do your job since you're Captain freaking America and I grew up idolizing you and all… but If you're done crouching down there behind your shield? That thing looks pretty damn heavy. It'd probably end better if we let Ant-Girl put it down instead of dropping it." Slowly lowering his shield, Steve looked up into the face of an amused young woman with a very strange haircut and a shiny black and red outfit. "Come with me if you want to live."

As Steve slowly rose to his feet, keeping his shield at the ready, Natasha let out a bark of laughter before taking the girl's hand, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. Stepping backward, the redhead looked the new arrival up and down slowly. "We only thawed him out a few months ago, so pop cultures from after 1945 are wasted on him. Then again, he was pretty busy for a few years before that, so things are pretty hit-and-miss for anything before 1941 to be honest. Natasha Romanoff, Agent of SHIELD. And considering that looks a lot like one of the outfits they designed for me to use if the Avengers Initiative ever went live, I'd really like to know who you are."

"Someone who thinks blowing up a giant alien death machine in downturn New York is moronic, considering you have no idea what's powering it and how big a boom it might make when it goes up. Not that I blame you for that one, Cap. That honor goes to Mister 'Bring the Party' over there." The girl glared over at where Stark was pinned to the pavement beneath the foot of a girl who looked like a younger, feminine version of the abomination that had torn up Harlem fighting the Hulk. The Hulk seemed just as aware of that resemblance, offering the gathered Chitauri a roar of challenge before turning his attention back to the newcomer and growling lowly. "That's Aberration. Abbie for short. Who needs to remember that this isn't her Hulk, but it's still a Hulk!" Aberration offered a growl of her own at that before flipping Hulk off and taking a step back, freeing Stark. "Thank you. Now. My name is Redback. There's also Emerald on overwatch…" Turning, she pointed back at a girl in a black outfit with a green 'X' across the chest, who was hovering above the elevated portion of Park Ave as rings of green energy raced down her legs toward the ground every few seconds. "…and Ant-Girl is keeping you from being turned into a smear on the pavement."

It was then that Steve finally took a moment to look up… and then spent the next several seconds trying to reconcile what he was seeing. There was a girl standing over him, one foot resting on the sidewalk on either side of the street, holding the battered Chitauri vessel in place and keeping it from tipping forward onto him. One of the SHIELD technicians that he'd spoken with on the helicarrier had mentioned a Doctor Pym and a 'Giant-Man' project, but it was supposedly years away from producing results. He would have continued to stand there, staring at the unbelievable, had the girl not shifted her attention downward and narrowed her eyes. "You may not be the Cap I've got problems with, but I'm pretty sure that booting you from here to Grand Central would feel pretty damn cathartic…"

Before Steve could respond to that one, an arrow went whipping past his face. Following it to its destination, he found it buried in the chest of a Chitauri that had decided to try and sneak up on them while they were distracted… and a glance toward its point of origin found him looking not at Hawkeye but rather a girl in a purple leather outfit who was holding a similar bow. "Another one of yours?"

"Hmm?" Redback followed his gaze before nodding and sighing softly. "That's Hawkeye. Err, our Hawkeye, since it looks like you have one too. She was supposed to stay in the station with the rest of the group but I guess she got bored. Speaking of the station, though…" Jerking her thumb in the direction of Grand Central Terminal, Redback raised her voice. "Considering the size of the Avengers just doubled, who's up for falling back so we can come up with an actual battle plan?"

"I love it when a plan comes together, and for that you need a plan." Stark rolled onto his stomach before using a blast from the palms of his suit to launch himself up onto his feet. "Count me in. Let's go, Bruce. Point Break." Hulk let out a grumble as he shot Aberration one last glance, tucking Thor under one arm and their group's Hawkeye under the other before bounding away. "…not quite what I was picturing, but it works." Offering Steve a mocking salute, Stark took off in pursuit.

There was a moment of silence, and then Aberration shook her head in dismay. "If there's a dimension out there where that man is actually a mature adult, I don't want to visit it. It's probably a sign of the apocalypse." She could speak? That was… actually not that surprising, the more Steve thought about it. After all, Blonsky could still speak clearly after transforming. Taunt the Hulk, even. "After this is all over and we've saved the city, I'm going to punch the Hulk. Just so you all know."

"You do realize that he's probably just as capable of slapping you around as your Hulk is, right?"

"Still going to punch him later."

Well, it was nice to know that he wasn't the only one who had problems keeping his teammates in line. Speaking of which… Natasha offered Steve an apologetic look before joining the exodus, covering Aberration as she stomped away down the street. The female Hawkeye waited for the green girl to pass her by before hopping down off the roof of the car she'd been perched on and joining Natasha. Finally it was just him and Redback left on the street, the redhead raising an eyebrow curiously. "So. Wanna come join the planning party, or stay out here and fight an army on your own?"

While Steve was used to fighting against incredible odds, even he wasn't stupid enough to try and take on an enemy as numerous and powerful as the invading Chitauri all by himself. And so despite his natural inclination to press on in defense of the city's millions of civilians, he gave Redback a begrudging nod and allowed her to lead him away. He wasn't retreating, he consoled himself. He was just advancing in a different direction.

Yeah. That was it.


End file.
